Pharmacy2U this week (December 8) announced that it has received B Corp status “in recognition of its commitment to social and environmental responsibility, transparency and accountability”.
The certification is awarded to companies that meet “rigorous standards” across the five “key impact areas” of governance, workers, community, environment and customers, it said.
Pharmacy2U added that the development makes it “the only online pharmacy in the UK to hold B Corp status”.
Read more: Lloydsdirect gains sustainability certification for ‘goals outside of profit’
It comes after the NHS accepted Pharmacy2U’s application to take over the ownership of LloydsPharmacy’s online prescription service LloydsDirect in November last year, after previously refusing it earlier in 2024.
LloydsDirect had itself achieved B Corp certification in 2023 in recognition of its “commitment to goals outside of profit”.
“Great place to work”
Pharmacy2U, which is the UK’s largest online pharmacy, scored 91.4 points out of 200 on the “B Impact Assessment” compared with a median score of 55 and minimum certification requirement of 80 points, it said.
And it added that it was “commended for its score in the ‘customers’ section” after demonstrating the “positive health outcomes of the service to its customers”.
Read more: Pharmacy2U takeover of LloydsDirect approved after safety concerns
“The business focuses on consistent communication with customers to gather feedback and make sure the company is truly making a difference,” it said, pointing to its more than 612,000 reviews and “excellent rating” on Trustpilot.
The company has also maintained “great place to work” certification for “two years running”, setting up a committee to “engage and include workers from across the business to discuss any feedback, benefits and volunteering” and offering “internal support groups”, it added.
“Force for good”
Pharmacy2U chief executive Kevin Heath said that the certification reflects the company’s “long-standing commitment to being a force for good in the UK’s critical national pharmacy sector”.
“It validates the work our teams do every day to deliver on sustainability, people and planet,” he added.
Read more: Pharmacy2U reveals rebrand to celebrate ‘evolution’ over 25 years
The online pharmacy said that B Corp status “marks the beginning of a new phase for Pharmacy2U, which plans to continuously improve the performance of the business year on year”.
The company “is focused on high-quality healthcare at scale while continually reducing energy consumption and waste across its operations and increasing recycling efforts, strengthening governance and investing in the wellbeing of its team and the communities it serves,” it added.
Pharmacy2U revealed a “comprehensive rebrand” in July as it celebrated “25 years of innovation and service alongside the NHS”.
